Cover photo for Melvin Nelson's Obituary
Melvin Nelson Profile Photo
1923 Melvin 2016

Melvin Nelson

June 1, 1923 — March 29, 2016

Melvin T. Nelson, age 92, of Detroit Lakes, MN, passed away at his home on Tuesday, March 29, 2016. A funeral service will be at 11:00 am on Monday, April 4, 2016, at First Lutheran Church in Detroit Lakes. A visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. The burial will follow the service at Bakke Lutheran Cemetery. Melvin was born on June 1, 1923, to Theodore and Anna (Viertsen) Nelson in Webster, SD. His family moved to Ulen where he attended school in rural Clay County. He moved to Detroit Lakes in the 1930's and remained all his life. Having grown up during the Great Depression, he found work wherever he could and worked for many places: Iceworks, Wilcox Lumberyard, Peterson-Biddick, PV Lumber, Swifts, and Hughie Longs Roofing. But his passion was always woodworking, carpentry, and building, and he was





self-employed in those trades for much of his life. Melvin was married to Nellie Mae Larsen on July 22, 1943 in Becker County and together they raised four children in Detroit Lakes. Melvin had two passions, family and woodworking. As a father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Melvin never forgot a birthday or a thoughtful card. As a talented carpenter, he did not need blueprints. He could take a sketch and turn it into something much better than expected. He was also a generous man who took pleasure in helping others. He is survived by a daughter, Judy (Rick) Nelson-Vierzba of Kalispell, MT; a son, Dale Nelson of Pelican Rapids; a daughter-in-law, Ruth Nelson of Detroit Lakes; a brother, Raymond Nelson of Lindstrom; sisters, Pearl Hammer of Lancaster, PA, Mary Cusey of Coon Rapids, Violet Carothers of Seattle, WA, and Gladys Haugrud of North Bend; several grandchildren, and great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife, Nellie; sons, Robert and Milton; parents, Theodore and Anna; a brother, Marvin; and a sister, Annabelle.





Funeral Home: David Donehower Funeral Home 609 Hwy 10 East Detroit Lakes, MN US 56501

Previous Events

Visitation
Monday, April 4, 2016
10:00 AM
First Lutheran Church

912 Lake Avenue
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501

Service
Monday, April 4, 2016
11:00 AM
First Lutheran Church

912 Lake Avenue
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501


To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Melvin Nelson, please visit our flower store.

Guestbook

Visits: 6

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Send Flowers

Send Flowers

Plant A Tree

Plant A Tree